NP45 - A guide to Bereavement Benefits

About this guide

This is one of several guides that give detailed information about social security benefits. It is intended for professional advisers and members of the public who want to know more about bereavement benefits/widow’s benefits. Full details of all these guides.

If you are a war widow, this is not the guide you need. Get WPA Leaflet 1 Notes about War Disablement and War Widow’s Pensions and WPA Leaflet 9 Rates of war pensions and allowances from Service Personnel and Veterans Agency (SPVA) Customer Services Department whose address is given in the ‘Further Information’ section of this guide.

This guide and the law

This guide is only a general guide to bereavement benefits/widow’s benefits: it has no status in law. It does not cover all the rules in the scheme for every situation, nor does it provide a full interpretation of the rules. It should not be treated as a complete and authoritative statement of the law.

Every effort has been made to ensure that the contents are correct at the date shown on the cover. However, changes in benefit regulations may make the guide become gradually less accurate.

Wherever this may be important to you, you should always check details with a Jobcentre Plus office, Jobcentre or social security office.

The basis of the law for the Bereavement Benefits and Widow’s Benefits scheme is the Social Security Contributions and Benefit Act 1992. This provides the framework for the detailed rules contained in regulations made by the Secretary of State and approved by Parliament. Our sources and tell you where you can consult them.

Throughout the text there are references to Acts and Regulations so that you can consult the legal wording of the rules. The abbreviated forms of the references are explained.

People who live or have lived in Scotland

Scottish law recognises a form of irregular marriage by cohabitation with habit and repute. The existence of such a marriage can be confirmed by a decree of declarator of marriage pronounced by the Court of Session. You may not need this declarator if following indepth investigation the Jobcentre Plus office, Jobcentre or social security office can establish an irregular marriage has been constituted. Therefore there may be entitlement to bereavement benefit and other related benefits. Contact your local social security office for further information.

People who live in Northern Ireland

This guide has been published for Great Britain so some of the information and addresses it contains may be different for Northern Ireland. For full details you can get the Northern Ireland version of this leaflet NP45 from your nearest social security office or from the Pensions Branch whose address is given in the ‘Further Information’ section of this guide.

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